League: Warriors at the crossroads

Steve Price will help give the Warriors an edge up front. Picture / Brett Phibbs

Tomorrow's match between the Warriors and Panthers pits teams with similar talents and failings.

Both sides like to move the ball and can score long-range tries.

But to get width you need go forward first and the Warriors may have an edge through their props Steve Price and Ruben Wiki when the teams meet at Ericsson Stadium.

To win, though, they will need a defence that does not leak up the middle, which is where the Panthers concentrate much of their attack.

Penrith have close to the full range of attacking options. Luke Priddis is fast out of dummy-half, back rowers Frank Pritchard and Trent Waterhouse are mobile and complement the power of Joe Galuvao.

Craig Gower steers the attack, Preston Campbell is elusive and offers well-timed angle runs, Rhys Wesser chimes in from fullback.

It's a matter of the Warriors frustrating that attack with tight defence and then feeding on mistakes. Which is what other sides usually do to them.

The bye is bad for many teams but the Warriors have the best of both worlds in resting more than half the team while six played the Anzac test and have had the longest break they get in the season.

Coach Tony Kemp said some players needed to rest niggling injuries and the break came at a good time. He expects no trouble having them focused for the Panthers. The Warriors have not beaten Penrith since 2002.

"Penrith are a big challenge. They're a no-nonsense team like us. It's a really good test of how you're going."

Much of the Panthers play-making will come from Gower, with Priddis, Campbell and Wesser. "Every coach in the competition knows that combination worked very well to getting them towards the grand final the last couple of years," Kemp said.

Nathan Fien has the chance to make the five-eighth jersey his, the coach said, though he is not yet looking to next season when halfback Stacey Jones leaves for France. Fien was pivotal in changing the momentum of the Newcastle game their way in the last 20 minutes, Kemp said. "I think he enjoys the extra space." Jones told Kemp during the week that he felt more comfortable with Fien outside him.

There is mixed news on the injury front. Centre Tony Martin will have a further scan on his neck/shoulder problem in mid-May but reports so far have not been good and it's possible he will be ruled out for the season. But fullback Brent Webb may be able to return next week against the Sharks in Perth and Sione Faumuina will definitely be up for selection, his knee tear healing well. Simon Mannering resumed full training this week after a foot injury.

"Brent was touch and go [for Penrith] but I don't want to risk him because then he could need surgery and be out for the year. I don't want to make an unwise decision in round eight when I need him for another 18 rounds," Kemp said.

He is happy with the depth at the club. "The bench changed the game for us in Newcastle," Kemp said.

The ruckus over the announcement of Jones' departure in the bye week had died down and the team had moved on and was in good mood.

Both sides have a similar tries for and against record, and most of their matches this season have been close, bar the occasional blow out.

The result tomorrow may come down to the will to win. The match could be a crucial one for the Warriors and good measure of whether they have the mental toughness to push into playoffs this year.